Turbine-engine.



E. ANDERSON.

TURBINE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I3. 1912;.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l By AT ToHIvEr E. ANDERSN.

TURBINE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aua.|3. 1912.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@N111 @TAfllgle PATENT @FFI@.

EMIL ANDERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR `T() THE UNIVERSAL TURBINE COM- PANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORFOBJATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

TURBINE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine- Engines, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in fluid pressure turbines, and its object is to provide a simple, compact and efficient apparatus of this character.

I will describe my invention in the following specilication and then point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a turbine made according to my invention. The section in this figure is taken on the irregular line 1 1 of Fig. 8.

One of the pairs of intake nozzles with their controlling valve is shown in section on an enlarged'scale in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the rotor showing one form of spacing blocks for the annular plates of the rotor. One of these spacing blocks is shown in section. Similar views of two other forms of spacing blocks are shown in Figs. 4L and 5, respectively.

Another detail of rotor construction is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 which are respectively a sectional end elevation and a sectional side elevation of a portion of the rotor.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the embodiment of my invention which is shown in' Fig. 1. In this figure the casing is shown in section and a part of the rotor is shown in elevation and another part in sectional elevation.

A modification of construction is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 in which a portion of the stator in which are an inlet nozzle and an expansion duct with the adjacent portion of the rotor are shown in sectional end elevation in Fig. 9 in plan view in Fig. 10.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

10 designates an annular frame which supports the other parts of the apparatus. This is open at the bottom as at 11 so that the exhaust steam or other motive Huid may pass out through it and through the base upon which it rests, to the air or to a condenser. To` the sides of this annular frame are affixed side `plates 12 and 18, each of which is provided with a bearing and with a stuffing box for the shaft 141.

The rotor is mounted upon this shaft. It comprises a hubv 2O which is affixed to the shaft and a flange 21 which supports the other parts of the rotor. The outside of this flange is turned inward to form a solid rim 22. An annular side member 23 parallel with the iiange 21 is alhxed to these parts. 'Between the flange and this side member a plurality of annular rotor rings 211 are held. 'I'hese'divide the annular space between the -flange 21, rim 22 and side member 23 into a plurality of parallel annular channels which open inwardly, are closed at the sides and except for the drainage channels which will be described later, are also closed at the outside. 'lhese rotor rings may be of any desired shape but are preferably made of sheet metal stamped to have wavy surfaces instead of flat and these waves or corrugations may be oblique to the radii of the rotor, as shown at 25. The eect of this form of rotor construction is to make the parallel annular fluid passages zig-zag.

Referring specifically to Figs. 8J( I will describe a rotor construction which I have designed in carrying out this invention. rThe outside diameter of each of the rotor rings is such as to cause them to fit snugly within the rim 22. At intervals about the inside of the rim transverse grooves are out into which fit cross pieces 26 in the form of .segments of a circle which pieces project inwardly beyond the cylindrical surface of the rim. Across the edges of these cross pieces are cut grooves 27 Other grooves are cut across the inner portion of the cross pieces at substantially right angles to the grooves 27 and into them are inserted the edges of the rotor rings 24. They are thus held spaced apart at their outer peripheries and there are also small passages from the annular channels between the rings into the grooves 27. Opposite the grooves 27 holes 28 are drilled through the flanges 21.

Near the inner peripheries of the rotor rings the spacingblocks 30 are provided. These are shown in Fig. 3 as small cylinw drical pieces each of which is drilled through axially and held in place by a bolt or rivet 31 which passes through all of them and the Y rings 24 and also through the flange 21 and v23 byY a'screw 34'and each of the others is similarly ailixedto one of the rotor rings. Theconstruction illustrated in Fig. is

.I somewhat different. i In this case each spacing block .35 is constructedV with an integral threaded lug 36 at onefend andrat its other end itA is ldrilled and tapped. Y The lug of the first of' -theserbloeks may be screwed into a tappedrhlole in the flange 21, through'one of the rotorrings if desired, and the next suc-k 'Y ceeding spacing*k blocks'l are then screwed Y to into the tapped holes 0f the adjacent blocks through `van intervening rotor ring.` Then a screw'37 is screwed through the side member 23 into the last Vblock 35, through a rotor ring if one lies close v*to this side member.

I have shown and prefer to construct the rotor .with one of its rings close against the flange 21 and another close against the side member 23, but obviously it is possible to provide spaces between these outer rotor rings and the outside members of' the rotor.

The Yinner portion of the side plate 13 is constructed to form an annular chest 15 for the fluid pressure, to which the supply pipe 16 is connected directly. At equally spaced intervals are valveV chests 40 aflixed to that vportion of the side plate 13 which forms chest 15. VAs these and'their associated parts are alike, it is only necessary to describe one of them.

This with the adjacent part of the chest 15 forms a cylindrical chamber for a rotary sleeve valve 41 which may be actuated by a handle 42. Ports 43 Vadmit the fluid pres-l sure to the,l inside of the valve and another Y Y Vport 44 cuts'olf the fluid pressure or allows it to pass into and through either an ad- Y vance nozzle 45 .or a reverse nozzle 46.

It has been Ashown that the rotor'is a trough-like structure open inwardly but divided into a plurality of parallel channels. It may be seen now that each valve chest 40 covers a portion of the open side of this trough and that the inlet nozzles which are expansion nozzles are'so placed as to direct the motive fluid into these Vchannels Vfrom the inside of the rotor. At one end of the valve chest 40 is a defleeting vane 47 preferably of spring metal, which tends to lengthen the cover ofthe lopen sideof the rotor. Thisas will be discussed more fully, maybe bent inward by the motive fluid. Thepossible extent ofits inward deflection maybe regulated by some suchmechanism an annular shoulder 17 thereon.

as that shown in the drawings which l will proceed to describe.

V50 is a ring which lits within the structure which forms the chest 15 and rests against Several lugs 51 affixed to the outside of chest 15 hold this ring in place but allow it to move peripherally. A part of the ring is provided with internal gear teeth 52 in which meshes a pinion 53 by means of which the position of the ring may be manually shifted. A bracket 54 projects outwardly from the ring and this carries a transverse stop bar 55 under the deflecting vane 47 which limits the extent of the latters inwardniovement. By shifting the position of the ring 50 relative to the vane 47, the limiting stop will be effective at different positions of the vane so that the latter may open a greater or less Yextent dependent upon the position of the stop bar.

Before describing the modification illustratedin Figs. 9 and 10, I will point out the operation of this apparatus. Let us assume that the valves 41 are turned to admit the motive fluid to the rotor through the nozzles 45. The fluid can then pass through the paralel channels between the rotor rings 24 .and this will have a tendency to ilnpel the rotor. This tendency is increased and a stronger starting torque obtained on account of the wavy or zig-zag course of the channels. It is to be noted that the inclination of the rotor ring waves is such as to forni no opposition to the entry of the fluid in this direction of running.

The motive fluid may pass out of the rotor between the forward end of one of the valve chests 40 and the rear end of the next adjacent valve chest into the interior of the casing, and thence out through passage l1. A part of thisV space between the valve chests is covered by the vane 47. But this is pushed down out of the way a greater or less extent by the expansion of the motive fluid. The extent to which this vane may be deflected may be adjusted by shifting the position of the stop-bar 55.

`When steam is used as the motive fluid there may be a tendency for some of it to condense and be held by centrifugal force against the inside of the rim 22. To prevent any such water of condensation or any other part of the motive fluid being caught thus in pockets, the drainage channels through holes 28 are provided at suitable intervals about the rotor.

The motive fluid may be shut olin by the valves-41 to stop the motor, or it may he directed through the nozzles 4G to cause it to rotate in the opposite direction. lu the latter case it will be seen that the inf.:lination of the rotor ring waves is more nearly transverse to the direction of flow of the motive fluid. This is so arranged for the purpose lll of getting a stronger torque at a loss of efliciency as in most cases an engine of this type is run backward less frequently and usually at slower speeds than it is run forward. However the waves may be on radial lines if desired or their inclination be greater or less to suit the conditions for which the turbine is to be used.

The modification illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 shows a valve chest G0 which extends laterally over .the open side of the rotor trough with an expansion nozzle 6l therein extending laterally over but a part of the rotor trough. Ahead of the nozzle is an expansion duct 62, the forward end of which extends over the full width of the rotor trough. ln this case the motive fluid is led through the nozzle into but part of the parallel channels of the rotor. But as it advances and expands some of it goes out into the duct 62 and by the latter is led back into the other channels of the rotor from the inside of the rotor. When this construction is used the rotor may be made wider to more fully utilize the expansion of the motive fluid.

`What I claim is:

l. A turbine having a rotor with an annular trough-like structure open inwardly and divided into a plurality of parallel wave-like channels, and means for introducing motive fluid into said channels from the inside.

2. In a turbine, a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of rotor rings within said structure dividing it into a plurality of parallel wave like channels, a member inside of said structure arranged to close a part of the open side thereof and constructed to form an eX- pansion no-zzle oblique to the radii of the rotor.

3. In a turbine, a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of rotor rings within said structure dividing it into a plurality of parallel wavelike channels, a valve chest inside of said structure arranged to close a part of the open side thereof and constructed to form a nozzle for introducing motive fluid into said channels in one direction and another nozzle .for directing` the fluid into said channels in the other direction, and a valve for controlling said nozzles.

4l, In a turbine. a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a member inside of said structure arranged to close a part of the open side thereof and constructed to form a nozzle, and a flexible deflecting vane of sheet metal over another part of the open side of said structure.

5. ln a turbine, a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a member inside of said structure arranged to close ay part of the open side thereof and arranged to form an expansion nozzle oblique to the radii of the rotor, a movable deflecting vane ,projecting from said member over the open side of said structure, and an adjusting device for limiting the movement of said vane.

(i. In a turbine, a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of members equally spaced about the internal circumference of said structure arranged to close parts of the open side thereof, and each arranged to form an expansion nozzle oblique to the radii of the rotor, a plurality of movable deflecting vanes, one afiixed to each of said members, and a -manually operable adjusting device for `controlling all of said vanes.

7. In a turbine, a rotor having an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of rotor rings within said structure dividing it into a plurality of parallel wavelilie channels, a valve chest inside of said structure arranged to close a part of the open side thereof and constructed to form an expansion nozzle for introducing motive fluid into said channels in one direction and another expansion nozzle for directing the fluid into said channels in the other direction, a valve for controlling said nozzles, and a movable deflecting vane projecting from said valve chest over the open side of the rotor channels.

8. A turbine having a rotor with an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of corrugated rotor rings within said structure dividing it into a plurality of parallel wave-like channels, said corrugations being oblique to the radii of the rotor, and means for introducing motive fluid into said channels from the inside.

9. A turbine having a rotor with an annular trough-like structure open inwardly, a plurality of corrugated rotor rings within said structure dividing it into a plurality of parallel wave-like channels, said rotor being constructed to form transverse drainage channels connecting the annular channels, and means for introducing motive fluid into said annular channels from the inside.

10. ln a turbine, a shaft, a rotor aliXed thereto, said rotor comprising a flange in a plane at right angles to the shaft, an annular side member parallel with said flange and a connecting rim; said flange, side member and rim forming an annular trough open inwardly, a plurality of cross pieces spaced about the inside of the rim having grooves therein, a plurality of rotor rings each in a like groove of said cross pieces, said rings dividing said trough into a plurality of parallel channels, and means for introducing motive fluid into said channels from the inside.

ll. In turbine, a shaft, a rotor affixed thereto, said rotor comprising a flange in a plane at right angles to the shaft, an annular side member parallel with said flange and `la connecting rim; said iiange, sidemeniber and rim forming fan annular' trough open inwardily,v the inner surface of said rimV being V.out away atspaoed intervals to form trans- VVinsaid grooves projecting inside of the in- Uopies of this patent may 'ne obtained for .ternal periphery ofl the rim, each of said loross pieces having grooves therein substantially parallel with the rotor flange, a plur'ality of Corrugated rotor rings each in a groove ofv one Aof said cross pieces, said rings dividing said trough into a plurality of parallel Wave-like channels, spacing blocks between said rings inside of the cross pieces, land means for introducing motive Huid into .said channels from the inside.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of August, 1912, 20 in the presence of two Witnesses.

EMIL ANDERSON.

lVit-nesses R J. DEARBORN, ERNEST W. MARSHALL.

nve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

